On Thursday 26th May 2022, the BBC outlined their plans to deliver a 'digital first BBC'.   One of the changes outlined is the closure of the CBBC Channel which has existed as a free-to-air television channel for the past 19 years, since 2002.  

CBBC was first launched in September 1985 as a children's programming block on BBC Television, to entertain and educate younger viewers.  In 2002, the CBBC Channel was launched and was made freely accessible to any household with a digital television.  Unlike other Kids TV channels at the time, such as Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel,  no subscription fee was required to view the channel.

In the late 2000s,  CBBC programming was pulled from BBC One & BBC Two, with all content now being served by the CBBC Channel.  It was named Channel of the Year at the Children's BAFTA awards in November 2008 and 2012 and 2015. 

Alongside entertainment shows for younger viewers,  the channel broadcast 1,000 hours a year of factual and schools programmes.  During the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and UK lockdowns when schools were closed,  CBBC offered a lifeline to parents and students by extending their educational programming block.  CBBC broadcast shows from the BBC Bitesize service for primary-school-aged children. These shows featured a mix of archive, live and newly filmed content. 

CBBC's status as a free to air channel means it reaches far and wide,  including households with limited income, who are perhaps unable to afford a streaming subscription to services such as Netflix and Disney+.    There are still many areas of the country which lack a high speed internet connection,   solely relying on linear television channels.   

Axing CBBC is a major letdown to both parents and the organisation's younger viewers and we urge the BBC to re-evaluate their plans.